The Power of Love on Human Life.

The abundant accolades and acquiescent reviews obtained by my latest DVD acquisition, I've loved you so long, confirmed it had to be a sensational movie. Usually, such high expectations are never met, and I am often critical of the result. However, as proved on this occasion, there are always exceptions to the rule. I was rapt from start to finish, the plot was relevant to contemporary culture in its themes, the actors were phenomenal and the pace was enthralling. Most interestingly for such a popular movie, I was left to ponder on many moral issues, some of which must be shared with you now...

Although the theme of love is at the heart of the movie, romance plays little to no role in Phillipe Claudel's latest production. The film tells the story of a woman, Juliette Fontaine (Kristin Scott Thomas), and her return to normality after a 15 year stay in prison. The reasons why she was convicted are left to be unravelled slowly in succinct spells of exposition as Juliette begins her breakthrough past the prison barriers. As she sits nervously during interviews for new jobs, potential employers look at her somewhat repulsed, shocked, and uneasy. The extended bouts of silence intensify this restlessness and tension, leaving the viewer to wonder, what could Juliette have done that was so bad?

It was her sister, Léa (Elsa Zylberstein) that picked her up from the airport as she left prison, and it is her sister with whom she is staying now as she finds a new place to live. Léa lives with her husband, their two adopted children, and her father in law who is deaf and mute. It transpires that Juliette's crime was murder making relations with the family a little strained at first, especially with respect to the children with whom she is around... What is so touching is the way in which her sister never forgot their bond during these years of absence, and doesn't judge Juliette for her actions. She's simply happy and often emotional to have her sister back, and will do whatever it takes to make her enjoy life and feel at ease around her loved ones. The brilliant collaboration between Zylberstein and Scott Thomas is mesmerising and entirely realistic, as they reminisce about their childhood together and laugh about fond memories. Zylberstein plays the role of the younger sister perfectly as she listens to Juliette, still in awe of her sibling as though their time apart had never occurred, as if no crimes had ever been committed.

This raises important issues of forgiveness and acceptance, and the extent to which you can overlook past events and move on. What is poignant is the way in which every family member gradually warms to Juliette, letting go of any preconceived notions. She slowly becomes engrained in their home environment, and involves herself wholeheartedly in daily tasks. They forget she could eventually be dangerous and are willing to include her in life, even depend on her, so long as she makes an effort too. Whatever drove her to perform that crime, it seems the clever ones in the movie are those who acknowledge prison restored her sanity and redeemed her. As the viewer, you certainly warm to Scott Thomas' coy smile, apprehensive gaze, soft tone of voice, and inquisitive eyes, but can you really love someone who committed a bitter crime?

It appears the answer is yes. What happens in her past should bear no impact on our present. Indeed, it is this view that the film tries to promote as the story unfolds. As proved by Léa, love has the ability to transcend the most horrific scenarios and not damage itself along the way. As Juliette makes her journey, we grow to care for her character, and admire her efforts to return to life. However horrific the act she may have been involved in was, the most important thing is that she's now making amends. The film shows us that if you're willing to move on and seek forgiveness, it is possible to be accepted and to accept. Love can be so strong that it will survive the toughest of obstacles, and will even drive you to act in unimaginable ways.

Juliette's attempt at getting her life back on smooth tracks is admirable. She wants to taste life and experience it as a newborn would, yet devoid of naive enthusiasm or wide eyed innocence. She walks into a bar and ends up sleeping with a stranger, not out of a craving for affection, just a bitter taste of everyday reality, which she is slowly learning to reconnect with. She doesn't forget what happens, but she is simply moving on, taking life as it comes. She takes coffees with her social security adviser, and even strikes a beautiful friendship with one of Lea's colleagues, Gérard (Olivier Cruveiller). He seems to understand her on a deeper level, as he was once a teacher in prison, and knows what the environment is like. Most importantly he understands that everyone in prison is just like you and I, their troubles were just bigger, and their sanity took the worse of them. The film thus confronts us with notions of social dysfunction driven by mental imbalance and subsequent public reactions.

Furthermore, there are reasons that Juliette was in prison, and until we know exactly what occurred and why, it's not up to us to dislike her. What do Juliette's potential employers know about her crime? As they shut the door in her face, can they truly ascertain that they know what she did? No. Nor can we, and nor can any of the people that meet her. Until we do, she must be respected as an equal. The film shows us not to judge the book by its cover. You never know the full story, and until you've read the very last page of the book, as we discover in the last quarter of the movie, you should never put a label on it.

The social security worker with whom Juliette has her weekly coffees ends up taking his own life. Indeed, we all have problems and unfortunately for a minority, mental imbalance may lead to crime or suicide. The people who lead sane lives should seek to help those less fortunate and hold out their hands to those hungry for help. At multiple occasions, the film shows us how this is done, either by adopting children, helping prisoners find jobs, taking your criminal sister back in your life, accepting your wife's potential psychopaths in your home, allowing an ex convict in the workplace, and even giving a home to a family member who can't speak or hear any longer.

I've loved you so long is about the importance of love; between parent and child, between brother and sister, between lovers, between friends and even between strangers. It might be one thing to consider yourself good, but extending that goodness to those around you is the only way in which that goodness is worth anything at all.

The Truth Behind Vogue’s biggest issue EVER.

People love to hate the bad guys, there’s something compelling about them. Western society spends so much time being sweet, and pretending to love one another all the time, that when somebody cruel comes along, it’s refreshing, shocking and gives you something legitimate to criticize. In the Music Industry, it’s Simon Cowell, in the Fashion Industry, it’s Anna Wintour.

Indeed, Wintour, editor in chief of US Vogue for the past 21 years, is the star of the latest documentary by RJ Cutler- The September Issue. The film documents six months in the lead up to the release of the best seller in the magazine world, Vogue’s September copy. We see everything from the shoots, the meetings, the photo choices and the trips made by Wintour and her team. What was the September issue? The largest fashion magazine issue to date- only because 2/3 of its content consists of adverts, desperately inserted by brands to boost falling sales. In a further strand of irony, we have Sienna Miller on the cover, who appears in the documentary as worn out, and ordinary pre- shoot yet radiant, and gorgeous post-photoshop.

Wintour comes across as ice cold and stern. Very focused and business like, she travels from meeting to meeting in a grey Mercedes, and sits at the back, staring out the window, Starbucks in hand, very calm and concentrated, mobile resting in a docile manner on her lap. In the office, her main role is to control what pages make it to the final cut of the magazine, a task she approaches as a doctor would gene samples, methodically and with objective precision. Her team are the real busy bees, working long hours at a frenetic pace trying to assemble beautiful garments to come up with an original and mark-making photo shoot. If Ms Wintour says yes, they’ve succeeded, but more often than not, it’s a soft no they receive from the woman’s elegant English lips.

Wintour’s influence is undoubtable and this definitely comes across in the documentary. She has the power to dictate a trend, and choose what women will wear next. She can call Muccia Prada and tell her women need more wool in their clothes, and just like that Prada’s next collection will change. The designers need her to find out what the clients really want, and this makes her one of the most powerful figures in the fashion world. YSL designer, Stefano Pilati, shows Wintour his collection, hoping she’ll tell him what to do, change, alter, all this shivering in fear of her response. Oscar de la Renta and Jean Paul Gaultier also both appear in the doc, similarly seeking approval and advice from the queen of fashion, who nods, shakes her head, and asks people to kindly get out of her way; She definitely does not fake it.

Her team consists of the leading professionals in the industry such as Leon Talley, a fashion icon himself. His job is to accompany Wintour to all the major fashion shows, picking up trends and using his influence to promote young designers. But the real star of the show is Grace Coddington, creative director of US Vogue for 20 years, and UK Vogue 20 years before that. She started out as a supermodel infatuated by Vogue which she got delivered to her doorstep every month. After a car accident left her injured and mildly disfigured, she was offered a job as an assistant, and slowly worked her way up. She is now in charge of almost every shoot that goes into the magazine and sits alongside Wintour at every fashion show, notepad in hand, deciding what the next trends will be. We see her creative genius come out during the documentary as she gets involved in the splendid photoshoots, styling her models hands on, one of the only creative directors in the industry who refuses to have an assistant.

In a personal interview for the documentary Wintour says decisiveness is her strength. There’s no denying that Wintour does not hesitate when she makes choices. However radical they may be, often upsetting those around her, there’s no going back. Indeed, Wintour agrees that “fashion is all about looking forward”. She has no qualms in opposing the inclusion of a photograph that may have taken 24 hours of intense work and $50,000 worth of man labour and technical costs. Coddington often suffers from Wintour’s hard decisions which she has learnt to cope with over time. After all, they’ve worked alongside each other for twenty years now. At several instances during the film, we see beautiful photos of models in Couture gowns lounging on ornate chairs by chandeliers in Versailles, being removed in a flash by the powerful editor in chief, much to Coddington’s annoyance.

I can’t help but conclude that Wintour is a dislikable woman who misrepresents the expression behind fashion. Yes, she is by all means an excellent business woman, diplomatic in her relationships, and with an unmistakeable eye. She gets things done and she’s very influential, proactive, serious and decisive but this all seems contradictory to the charm, and appeal that fashion should signify. Vogue, and some might argue the entire industry, wouldn’t be the same without her, but as far as initiating the empowerment of women through magazines, I don’t know how much of a contribution she makes. Especially when she refers to the fashion world as being a “cool group” which many dislike only because they are “excluded”.

It seems to me that the documentary is as much about an unhappy woman as it is about the fashion world. And I might argue that The Devil Wears Prada had more information on both topics at hand. Wintour is not cruel as some might think, but simply sad and lonely, demonstrated by her inability to smile during the entirety of the documentary. Yes, she is working, but one does not get a sense she derives any sense of satisfaction from her daily activities whatsoever. She reacts to fashion in a very clinical way, and seems insecure hiding behind black shades, calling her children her only weakness. The woman admits to being mocked by her family who find her job “silly” and people who approach her from designers to colleagues seem frigtenned and intimidated. If the documentary taught me anything, it’s that Miss Wintour, along with others at Vogue, need a hug, and a sandwich... Quickly!

LADY GA-GAY

Whilst pursuing my daily discoveries for news on the web, I stumbled across a video of Lady Gaga, doing what seemed to be an inaugural speech. I clicked on the link, curious to see if she had made yet another provoking and daring performance. Instead, there was Gaga, addressing a crowd of people, outside a building too similar to the White House for it to be a coincidence.

Dressed less outrageously than in her usual costumes, opting for a white blouse, black dungarees and circular dark glasses, Gaga spoke on behalf of all gays around the world, campaigning for equality at the National Equality March in Washington. Just a few days ago, Gaga continued her support for the cause, this time, at a human rights campaign dinner in New York, where she sang Imagine by John Lennon. Yoko Ono, Lennon’s former lover agreed that the performance was moving and powerful, confirmed by her tweet “"Dear Lady Gaga, Thank you for singing ''Imagine''. Hearing that made me choke up. You are so beautiful! In Sisterhood and love, Yoko."

What I find unusual about her plea is that she is campaigning for a cause which she herself is not affected by, but that includes the majority of her fanbase’s sexuality. It makes me question whether she actually cares for the debate in question, or whether she’s just trying to get more popularity with the people whom are evidently attracted to her music. Gaga continued to say the gays would carry on pushing Obama and his administration to bring his promises to a reality. It is interesting that she used the suffix “we” even though she continues to eschew questions on her own sexual tendencies. The speech was overall thoughtful and compelling and she seemed to genuinely care for the issue. She addressed the president personally as she said “Obama, I know you are listening.” Then she paused, and screamed into her microphone: “ARE YOU LISTENING?!!”. The crowd cheered unanimously.

The aim is to convince Obama to end discrimination against gays and also let them serve openly in the military, following a pledge made in a speech last Saturday to the Human Rights Campaign, US’s largest gay rights group. The chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee said Sunday that Congress will need to muster the resolve to change the "don’t ask, don’t tell policy" — a change that the military may be ready for."I think it has to be done in the right way, which is to get a buy-in from the military, which I think is now possible," said Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich.

Those marching also listened to noteworthy activists such as Cynthia Nixon, from HBO’s "Sex and the City" who hopes to marry partner Christine Marinoni next year; and Judy Shepard, whose son Matthew was killed because he was gay. During a rally at the Capitol, keynote speaker Julian Bond — chairman of the NAACP — linked the gay rights struggle to the Civil Rights movement, saying gays and lesbians should be free from discrimination. For many people out there seeking to lead normal lives despite their sexuality, this is may not be such an exaggerated comparison.

Some activists doubted the march would accomplish much. They said the time and money would have been better spent working to persuade voters in Maine and Washington state, where the November ballot will include a measure that would overturn a bill granting same-sex couples the benefits of marriage. A bill introducing same-sex marriage was introduced last week by the District of Columbia Council and is expected to pass. March organizer Cleve Jones, creator of the AIDS Memorial Quilt and a protege of gay rights pioneer Harvey Milk, said he had initially discouraged a rally earlier this year. But he and others began to worry Obama was backing away from his campaign promises."Since we’ve seen that so many times before, I didn’t want it to happen again," he said. "We’re not settling. There’s no such thing as a fraction of equality."

The proud singer echoed Jones as she declared, “They say that this country is free, they say that this country is equal, but it is not equal if it’s sometimes”. It’s a fair remark exclaimed with conviction by the questionably bisexual singer. Although it may just be a wise move for her career ensuring she sells many records for the years to come, there is no doubt the singer is helping draw attention to an importance cause. Following a long line of celebrities who campaign for equality, it's now Lady Gaga’s turn to catalyse the change that America’s Gays long for, and have been promised.

Frieze Art Fair 2009- Art Market stands Corrected.

On Wednesday 14th October, I had the chance of going to the Frieze Art Fair for the VIP day mingling with some of the world’s most famous (and best looking) journalists. As far as fashion goes, the art world is the place to find it. Frieze is as much about the fashion as the art. If your personal style is cutting edge, the art you own will be Avant Garde. But is the necessity for art to be Avant Garde still there? In a falling economy, is art still selling? Pen and paper in hand, I strutted down the long catwalk-like alleys of the fair to find out.

Fur jackets, destroyed jeans, boots in all their guises and opulent handbags were the thing to wear. Streaks in hair, stencilled tights and a ludicrous amount of fake gold was the industry accompaniment to the wardrobe. Frieze, amongst other art fairs, really is a place where looking the part is as important as being the part itself. Other must-have qualities aside from your clothes involve speaking more than one language otherwise you’ll miss half the gossip around you. If you have white hair make sure to tint every single strand of it, keeping your age a secret is what the art society does best. If you know someone, say hello, keep it brief, make a bad joke, and run. Everyone is here to be seen, to see, not to linger and chat. After all, the art is the main focus, so let’s not waste time and converse.

The true celebrities are probably those who don’t dress up, hiding themselves under shabby t-shirts, tweed jackets, silver trainers, and plenty of denim. Gwyneth Paltrow and Lily Allen were both dressed in navy blues, blacks, free from accessories and not a trace of make upon their pretty faces. Suzy Menkes arrived late, quiff in gear, wearing a demure full length purple cardigan and simple black beaded necklaces. The prize for must have piece of the year is shared between a blackberry, colored nails for men, and men’s suits for the ladies. Any leopard prints and monogrammed items are to be avoided. Finally, the look wouldn’t be complete without sunglasses, the darker the better, guaranteed to give that instant “It” status.

But enough about fashion trends, and more about the art.

There’s no denying that the mood amongst critics and dealers before the fair was nervous and apprehensive following the crash that the Art Market did not escape from earlier this year. However, with 165 galleries around the world representing some of the world’s most intuitive artists and their creations, the Frieze brand (sadly, it is a brand) is eager to set the market back on track. If there’s anywhere fit to see who’s emerging, and what the correlations are between the works, the white tent, buzzing with camera clicks, languages, and designer dresses, is the place for it.

Yes, the prices have been cut, but business is still working. The chill of the recession hasn’t emptied out the galleries and if the crowded alleys of the fair are anything to go by, the art world has not lost its customers. The issue is now buying what’s right for the times, seeing what trends are emerging and what’s going to stick. Indeed, I find that now is the perfect time to seek art, as it detracts from fad, attacking the very consumer culture that propelled/propels it to success. The art on display is not catering to the fashionistas in the crowd in the same way that it was at the height of the boom last year when Damien Hirst was selling butterflies and hearts like mass produced tea cakes, it appears more liberated, less street wise. (It should be noted that a Damien Hirst piece of art is now worth about 40% less than a year ago, and his recent exhibition has had some painfully morbid reviews.)

Art today is dashingly more fun, and ready to take risks that challenge the client. Tracey Emin for example, the Royal Academy original YBA, offers a personalised neon filament sentence as a response to 15 questions that the customer must answer, for £65,000. I don’t know in what way she is qualified to make such a life changing statement, but I can’t deny the concept is enticing.

If a trend emerged, it seemed to be about putting the past in a new frame. Grayson Perry, known for his ceramic vases and cross-dressing was a sure hit at the fair, selling every work on display. The very fact that he was present at the fair, dressed up in an exuberant maids outfit, complete with red stockings, gathered bloomers, a baby’s bonnet, and a multicoloured cardigan ensured he had everyone looking at him, asking who he was, and as a result, paying attention when his art came up. A traditional Warholian techique guaranteed to seduce the public eye. He returned to the old art of tapestry but gave it a modern twist, infusing a large tapestry, “Walthamstow”, with symbols of consumerism, brand names, and dogs labelled Sotheby’s with their masters as Charles Saatchi. Following Banksy’s footsteps, by mocking the people he needs to survive, irony was the name of Perry's game.

Artist Richard Wentworth, until recently head of the Ruskin art school in Oxford, agreed when he stated he detected something of a return to DIY, to the skill of one’s own hand, among the young artists he knows. "There's a reduction in the idea that someone else will do it," he says (although Anish Kapoor and Jeff Koons, among others, continue to run large studios). He describes the young graduates he knows as tribal, non-conformist.

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There were also trends of recycling luxury icons such as the destroyed photos of celebrities, which I found particularly fascinating, by Maljkovik (acquired today by the Tate). But the most interesting works came from the Middle East with emerging artists such as Behrouz Rae (In Beimeister we Trust) whose works trace the absence of the individual through a suspended wandering in and out of space and place, or Ali Banisdar’s The Charlatans (2009), an abstract expressionist reiteration of Hieronymus Bosch’s Garden of Earthly Delights (1503-4). Polish artists, such as Artur Zmijewski who represented Poland in the 51st Venice Biennale with his film on prisoners entitled Repetition, were also highly popular. As to art from China, not only was it sparse, its prices have been significantly slashed. Considering how well it was doing last year, it proves that art is just as subject to trends as any other material based activity, and we should thus be very careful with the label Avant Garde.

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Another phenomenon I found interesting was the way in which artists are finding new ways to lure customers, from a money making/saving perspective. The San Francisco-based artist Stephanie Syjuco and a group of colleagues are producing cheap knock-offs of the expensive masterpieces at the fair. Nothing is priced higher than a bargain-basement £500. And on Sunday, the last day of the fair, she is planning a "total liquidation”. Here you can buy a copy of a self-portrait by the Turner prize-winning Mark Wallinger for £500; the real thing, at the London gallery Anthony Reynolds, is £75,000. "We are counterfeiting and bootlegging," said Syjuco, "but it's a little more complex than that: it's about translation and mistranslation. The objects that we are making are objects in their own right, made by artists in their own right, so the resulting works have a kind of dual lineage, from the original artist and the remake.” Syjuco described it as "a commentary on the fair in general".

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Apart from already established names like Richard Prince or Gilbert and George on view, I must say I very much appreciated the Baldessaris being presented such as Beethoven's Trumpet (With Ear) worth $400,000 from the Spruth Magers. Baldessari has a show at Tate Modern at the moment and has been an avant-garde great for many years. The older he gets, the funnier he becomes. Many artists are more fun at the beginning of their careers, but Baldessari keeps up the energy. Artworks that play in different ways, by being artworks — and being in context — are the things that survive best..

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So, if the art market is down by 40%, it is not out. There are still a lot of people who want to look at contemporary art, and who have the means to buy it, especially the Americans. David Roberts, an English art collector explained to me that now was an exciting time to buy art, as people are looking to pay what they would pay 2/3 years ago. Real business is evidently been done privately though, and Sotheby’s and Christies are the guys suffering (far from dying though). Art sales are happening at the back end of the market, with people looking to liquidate their assets to get cash to buy better things.

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There really is an opportunity right now to make a great collection with exceptional prices. Most importantly, trust your instincts and research the artists to validate their training and inspiration. Try and get in the way of artist and medium, to arrest the thought process as it develops. Once you’ve grasped the concept and judged the work aesthetically, if both score highly and work within a context and a history: success.
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At the 2007 Frieze Art Fair, you got in at 11:01am, as by 11:15am everything worth buying was sold out. By these standards, the 2009 fair isn’t as strong. However, with an eye on the right things, even if the artwork is taking 24 hours more to sell, if you arrive anywhere within those 24 hours, you’re a winner.

What it means to marry a Rich Man- Investigating the Life of Dasha Zhukova.

When it was first announced that Dasha Zhukova, Roman Abramovich’s girlfriend, was opening the equivalent of the Tate Modern in Russia, I was taken by surprise. The woman used to grace the back pages of Tatler for her flawless style and, back in her native country, she’s known as a huge socialite. Suddenly, she’s owning one of the biggest arthouses in Europe.

As someone who’s witnessed many art history doctorates seek jobs unsuccessfully, and as an art Historian myself, it seems slightly unfair that the woman with no experience and no academic qualifications, should be dictating the manoeuvres of such an art institution . When she informed the art scene at the Serpentine Gallery's annual party that she would be opening The Garage Centre for Contemporary Culture, the crowds chocked on the olives in their dirty Martinis.

It makes me wonder if money really does translate to power, or whether there are actually brains and ambition behind this operation. I can’t help but imagine Abramovich sat at the breakfast table, suggesting his pretty creature do something worthwhile with her time. But maybe I’m being harsh and money only opened a door, and it was Dasha’s choice to walk through it. Many women married to successful businessmen don’t share such high ambitions. Supposedly, Dasha has a genuine passion for art, with an aim to bring art to the youth of Moscow.

To add to her new found success, she has now become Editor in Chief of POP magazine alongside the well-established fash-mag guru Ashley Heath, who recently said: "Dasha has a very strong sense of style and a strong point of view on the modern world and on magazines."Is that really all it takes to become chief editor of a highly successful magazine though? It seems most of my friends abide by this criteria, I wonder if it’s really enough to suddenly become top of the game.

Before she became this international woman of business, Dasha, now 28, had a mildly successful fashion label called Kova & T, relaxed on Roman yachts, and was known for having the biggest handbag collection in the world. The academic qualifications that are quite essential in art history to shape and develop an “eye” are nowhere in sight. When asked about her favourite artists, Dasha said she was “um, like, really bad at remembering names”.

The woman moved to L.A aged 10, a huge difference from the Russia that she grew up in during the Iron Curtain years. She is the daughter of Russian oligarch, Alexander Zhukov, who has multiple connections in Russia, most of which have helped him avoid jail for his suspicious transactions. This probably puts her in a good place to persuade the wealthy 45 and overs of Russia (generally so anti modern art) that there are investments to be made in the market. After watching a television interview with Dasha, I can’t avoid commentating that she appeared meekly enthused by the prospect, perhaps suggesting a legitimate desire to bring culture to Moscow’s younger generation.

When asked by a journalist recently, whether she felt qualified to do so, "I don't think I have to know everything about art," she sniffed. "I travel a lot, and just by default I end up seeing exhibitions. Now, I look at them from all different points of view, not just the art: the organisation, the catalogue, the walls, all aspects. Knowledge is coming to me quite organically at the moment, and I think that for my place in this organisation and what I'm trying to achieve it's not important for me to know every single date and name. I would like to curate, but only in the future. I have a vision that I want to achieve, and it hasn't been a huge problem so far for me, the fact that I don't have a formal background in art history."

It will be interesting to see what will come out of it, whether she’ll remain as head of POP for a long time, or whether it was just a fad. And Whether the Garage will end up a successful enterprise worthy of the Tate Modern. Perhaps, all you need is flair and innate apprecation for aesthetics more than a formal background in history of art, we shall have to wait and see.. As the wide eyed beauty Dasha declared in a recent TV show with a big pregnant belly emerging from her Prada maternity gown. “Money grants you freedom!” Easy for some.

Using Paintbrushes rather than Knifes to Unleash Emotion- What goes on in UK Prisons.

Facing Life- Paul Higgins

In the history of art, delinquents have often generated attention and ended up as the praised and pitied ones, often too late for them to be able to bathe in the hot waters of success. Caravaggio circa the Renaissance, Van Gogh post impressionism and Basquiat as leader of the 80’s American Avant Garde come to mind.

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Recently, it appears the UK has developed a niche market for art by criminals. So much so that the highly sought after Southbank Centre is having an exhibition devoted to artwork by current prisoners in the UK entitled Art by Offenders (Oct 21st - Dec 3rd ). The exhibition is supported by the Koestler trust, a charity that believes in giving the prisoners a percentage of the money if their work sells. The Koestler Trust holds yearly awards giving the chance to prisoners to earn money through their art. Last year’s winner said “I cried when I won a Koestler Award, it was the first time in my life I’d been told I’d done something really well”.

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A Scottish exhibition bearing the same title revealed some fabulously kitsch work that some critics said was worthy of any million dollar Jeff Koons, notably a train made of matchsticks. Indeed, it appears there is a contemporary vein running through the inmate’s body of works to denote the claustrophobia of prison life. In one work in the upcoming exhibition, Full House, we see a mass of uniformed figures stacked together in a suffocating ambience of dark shades and terrorising confusion depicted on facial expressions. Another work in the exhibition, My World in Winter, has been likened to Peter Doig in its technique with the thick texture of the layers of paint trapped on top of each other without release, no doubt as a reference to the texture of imprisonment itself.

The lack of access to expensive or more creative materials makes it a challenge for the prisoners yet ensures they use their imagination more than ever, and this definitely comes out in the simple yet frustrated canvases full of convoluted shapes or screaming figures in a world free from colour and solution. As opposed to the Hirsts of the art world who have diamonds, stained glass and stuffed animals at their disposals, these dysfunctional individuals have paper, paint and their hands. The results are startling.

Future Man- Group Work

"It is interesting what styles emerge," says Ally Walsh, an art manager at the Anne Peaker Centre for Arts in Criminal Justice in London. "Some [inmates] might have had no exposure to contemporary art. But what they're making is naive and abstract art." People like that they can get a peek at what goes on under the taboo of prison life. There’s something forbidden about it, unknown. In an age where there are no secrets, the mysterious and dysfunctional life of these underdogs is generating more curiosity than ever, as much for its psychological capacity as for its artistic one.

An ethical question poses itself as government money is being spent on encouraging exhibitions by sociopaths whom are in turn getting financially rewarded. The issue has turned into a micro scandal nationally and even the Queen has refused to comment, so furious is she at this new found fad. Koestler trust head, Tim Robertson, disagrees and thinks that; on the contrary, "It is a way of rebuilding [a prisoner's] relationship with society. Some of these prisoners are creating amazingly skilled work. By exhibiting it, you get to hear their perspectives. The majority of the public have no idea what's happening [inside prisons]. They are grim places. My God, they're grim."

Subterranean Homesick Android- Anon

Others are less in favor of the entire prospect such as a Ministry of Justice spokesman who stated only yesterday that criminals should not be allowed to "cash in on the story of their crime." There is no denying that this story, though, makes for some very intriguing and captivating art. Recently, an origami sculpture was purchased for £600 by the government for the London Royal Festival Hall. What they didn’t know was that it was the work of convicted sex offender Colin Pitchfork. The result was outrage, and the debate still continues as whether it should be there or not. The problem is, people like it, “it’s beautiful”, some passer by noted, unaware of its author.

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Another British detainee, Michael Gordon Peterson, is a prolific artist whilst he serves his life sentence in jail. From armed robberies, to kidnappings to assault, he’s done it all, and has been in solitary confinement for the past 30 years. His colorful and sometimes amusing depictions of his troubled conscience have gained popularity online. He donates all the money earned to charity, including the £700 he fetched for two works this summer which has now gone to the Welsh Charity the Beacon of Hope. Some see this act as an inflation of his criminal ego, which has no right to enter the art sphere.

Thug Life- Patrick John Craggs

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The current “stars” of the scene are the Kray Twins, convicted of murder in the 1960’s. They held a violent gang, The Firm, which dealt with dirty crime. Their work has just emerged after their death in prison. The Munch like drawings with threatening figures and distorted landscapes seem more popular than ever, and have already fetched high prices at auction houses.

Rehabilitating criminals by allowing them to express themselves through art rather than crime seems like a healthy idea to me. However, it’s another matter to use government funds to promote the schemes and then give these offenders profit. It will be interesting to see what comes out of this moral debate.

One thing is sure; the psychological trappings of a disturbed mind have fascinated people for centuries and will continue to do so. If art is an expression of inner emotion, and that emotion happens to be drenched in turmoil and abnormality, this surely makes the art in question all the more intellectually and aesthetically compelling.

How Authority Figures and their WAGS exploit the Successful Fusion of Politics and Fashion.

A few weeks ago, Sarah Brown and Maggie Darling hosted a party at No. 10 for London Fashion Week’s 25th Anniversary. Why this support for the fashion world, so often criticized for being a superfluous liability, continuously attacked in the press either for encouraging a grotesque size 0 or for parading clothes that are unaffordable?

It appears associating politics with something sweeter such as fashion can help politicians gain appeal and at the same time, implement benefits for the ever-increasing industry, especially in the UK. Indeed, as nebulous as it may seem, it is the country’s second largest industry. Its high street sector, including giants Topshop and Next, is amongst the most influential around the world, and brands such as Burberry help promote Brit Mania, ensuring British commerce thrives. In addition, UK design talent, if fostered by the likes of the government, is flourishing. Just take a look at John Galliano for Dior or Jonathan Ive for Apple.

For these reasons, Sarah Brown is on a mission to help fashion get recognised as an artistic and cultural endeavour. The aim is to persuade the government to put more funds in fashion institutes and worthwhile events like London Fashion Week which end up reaping cultural and financial benefits in the long run. She’s bringing attention to fashion designers through funding and events, so that they too can receive tax breaks, such as the ones received annually by filmmakers from the British Film Council.

The PM’s wife may not have much of a clue about fashion herself, but she realises that if captured from the right angle, an alliance between British Fashion and Politics can bring about the exact type of positive press that their husband’s party needs rather desperately for the upcoming election.

In the States, we see Michelle Obama engaging in similar tactics. The first lady has attended many Gala dinners wearing Jason Wu, perhaps preventing the small enterprise from collapsing in these economic times. Coincidentally, the small brand has doubled its profit margin in the past year. She’s also often spotted wearing cheap brands such as J Crew which ensure the average woman can still relate to her. She’s seen as saving the economy whilst looking stylish and not succumbing to elitism. Such insidious PR stunts guarantee the presidential couple bonus points.

Similarly in France, Carla Bruni, the model singer turned first lady, has just unveiled a scheme to launch a scholarship program for youths from difficult backgrounds who want a future in fashion. Recent surveys show this particular initiative has already made Sarkozy gain popularity in the suburbs and, at the same time, it actually helps foster the growth of fashion. One might even argue the sole presence of Bruni at his side is enough to contribute to the fusion in question.

It appears politicians and their other halves are attracted to this harmless double entendre. It is clear that such collaboration will not succeed in eliminating the negative attitude concerning the wars in Afghanistan or Iraq, but it might disperse it, whilst upholding the Fashion industry. An entrepreneurial trio, Sarah, Michelle and Carla strike an optimistic and judicious coup de force that may just end up doing their husbands a few favours.